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Private Walking Tour of Hanoi City: Explore History, Culture, and Cuisine
4.9
1,066 Ratings
Hanoi
Discover the hidden gems of Hanoi with our Private Walking Tour. Explore history, culture, and cuisine on a journey through the heart of the city.
Discover the hidden gems of Hanoi with our Private Walking Tour. Explore history, culture, and cuisine on a journey through the heart of the city.
Duration:
8 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
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Lake of the Restored Sword (Hoan Kiem Lake) - (Flexible Schedule)
The tour guide will meet the group to begin the Hanoi Old Quarter Walking Tour. The first stop is Hoan Kiem Lake, known as the heart of Hanoi. Visitors can enjoy observing locals engaging in activities like playing badminton and exercising. - Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum - Next, the…
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Lake of the Restored Sword (Hoan Kiem Lake) - (Flexible Schedule)
The tour guide will meet the group to begin the Hanoi Old Quarter Walking Tour. The first stop is Hoan Kiem Lake, known as the heart of Hanoi. Visitors can enjoy observing locals engaging in activities like playing badminton and exercising. -
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum - Next, the tour proceeds to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex, a serene area featuring botanical gardens, monuments, memorials, and pagodas. The complex includes Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House, the Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh Museum, and the One Pillar Pagoda.
Note: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is open only in the mornings from 7:30 am to 11 am, except on Mondays and Fridays. - Temple of Literature & National University - Originally established as a university in 1070, the Temple of Literature & National University is dedicated to Confucius, scholars, and sages. The building is remarkably well-preserved and exemplifies traditional Vietnamese architecture. Visitors will explore historic structures from the Ly and Tran dynasties in a revered site that has seen thousands of doctors graduate, now serving as a memorial to education and literature.
- Hoa Lo Prison - Known ironically as the ‘Hanoi Hilton’ by US prisoners of war during the American War, Hoa Lo Prison’s exhibits primarily focus on its use up to the mid-1950s, highlighting the Vietnamese struggle for independence from France.
- Vietnam National Museum of History - The museum houses over 200,000 objects and materials that trace Vietnamese history from pre-history to the present. Among these, many are Vietnamese antiquities, with 18 recognized as Vietnam’s national treasures.
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Vua Dép Lốp Phạm Quang Xuân - Tire sandals, iconic during the war for Ho Chi Minh President, offer a unique experience. Visitors can try making tire sandals and learn about their significance and story at Tire Sandal King (Optional).
Note: Guides are complimentary, but experience fees are NOT included.
What's Included
- Free hotel pickup in Hanoi Old Quarter
- Guaranteed tour with email confirmation
- Complimentary private tour guide
- No tips required, no hidden charges
- Free hotel pickup in Hanoi Old Quarter
- Guaranteed tour with email confirmation
- Complimentary private tour guide
- No tips required, no hidden charges
What's Not Included
- Transport
- Transport
Additional Information
Discover the hidden gems of Hanoi with our Private Walking Tour of Hanoi City. Our experienced and knowledgeable guides will take you on a journey through the heart of Hanoi, exploring the city’s rich history, culture, and cuisine.
You’ll visit popular tourist attractions such as the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Temple of Literature, and the Old Quarter, as…
Discover the hidden gems of Hanoi with our Private Walking Tour of Hanoi City. Our experienced and knowledgeable guides will take you on a journey through the heart of Hanoi, exploring the city’s rich history, culture, and cuisine.
You’ll visit popular tourist attractions such as the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Temple of Literature, and the Old Quarter, as well as off-the-beaten-path locations that only locals know about. You’ll learn about the city’s history, traditions, and local way of life, gaining an insider’s view of Hanoi. You also can join a workshop to make tire sandals for yourself.
NOTE:
- Please be noted that no tank tops and/or shorts (above the knee) when entering spiritual attractions such as pagodas, temples, The Temple of Literature, Ho Chi Minh Complex, etc.
- Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum opening time: only morning from 7:30am – 11am
- Please be noted that no tank tops and/or shorts (above the knee) when entering spiritual attractions such as pagodas, temples, The Temple of Literature, Ho Chi Minh Complex, etc.
- Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum opening time: only morning from 7:30am – 11am
Location
Lake of the Restored Sword (Hoan Kiem Lake)
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(1066 Ratings)
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Alice
Jun 9, 2025
A great tour of the Old Quarter ! - This tour was such a great experience ! We booked it on our first day in Hanoï and it was the perfect introduction to the city and Vietnam in general. Our guides Cherry and Van Anh, were vey sweet and enthusiastic about Hanoï ! They shared very insightful information as we walked around the old quarter and introduced us to the Vietnamese culture. We really appreciated the tour and recommend it to anyone coming to Hanoï wanting to learn about the city !
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Trent2553
Jun 8, 2025
Incredible Private Walking Tour of Hanoi with Cherry and Tu! - We had a wonderful experience on our private walking tour of Hanoi, guided by the amazing Cherry and Tu. From the moment we met them, their warmth, friendliness, and deep knowledge of the city made this one of the most memorable aspects of our trip as foreign newcomers to Vietnam and Hanoi.
This tour is part of a student-led initiative with over 5,000 volunteers—an incredible concept that truly gives back to the community. Cherry and Tu, both passionate and articulate, took the time to share the rich history, culture, and hidden gems of Hanoi. We explored iconic landmarks, including the Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake, and King Le Thai To's statue, among others. Every stop came alive through their storytelling and historical insights.
What we loved most was the relaxed pace—since it’s a private tour, we could move at our speed, ask as many questions as we liked, and even take breaks when needed. It felt like walking through Hanoi with two local friends rather than guides.
Highly recommend this experience to anyone visiting Hanoi. It’s authentic, informative, and heartwarming. Thank you, Cherry and Tu —you made our trip unforgettable!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jackci4422sv
May 27, 2025
Hanoi walking tour review - The walking tour was an excellent way to visit the main tourist attractions of the city. My guide Giang was very helpful, showing me the best parts of the old quarter of the city and providing excellent recommendations for the best places to visit for food and coffee breaks. I would recommend this tour to anyone visiting Hanoi.
Jack, UK
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Siddharthb650
May 27, 2025
Fantastic Walking Tour of Hanoi with a Knowledgeable Guide Quynh - The walking tour was a great opportunity to explore Hanoi and learn about its history. Quynh was a wonderful tour guide—knowledgeable, fluent in English, bubbly, and energetic. We visited around a dozen places in the French Quarter, including some hidden gems that most tourists wouldn't know about.
I highly recommend this tour to any foreigner who wants to learn about the history of Hanoi and the Old Quarter.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ugurcihat_o
May 27, 2025
Perfect Guide!! - My tour guide, Amanda, was a lovely person! She was very knowledgeable about the history of Vietnam and was very good at English! It is definitely worthed! The vegan spots that she took me were great! I got a lot of tips about my remaining time in Vietnam!
Review provided by Viator
Noeha_c
May 26, 2025
Fantastic way to see the city! - What a great way to see the city, with a private tour and local guide. In our case, Shalia was delightful, a recent graduate working on improving her English. She spent all day showing us the sights, bringing us to a great spot to see the trains go by on Train Street, a wonderful coffee shop, St Joseph’s cathedral, and more. When we needed a memory card for an Insta360, she even paid for us to reimburse her since we were out of cash. Such a lovely experience all around, easily personalized to your needs! The minimal fee for what is actually a free tour is an optional donation, which we gladly donated.
Review provided by Viator
Caroline
May 24, 2025
A must do free* walking tour - This free Hanoi walking tour was exceptional! My guide Son’s historical knowledge, great English, and friendly demeanor made exploring landmarks feel like a stroll with a friend. He answered every question thoughtfully—highly recommended for an insightful, engaging intro to the city’s culture and history. Don’t miss it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
J2086eskyliec
May 23, 2025
Highly recommend - Moon and Anna were exceptional hosts and very knowledgeable. It was a great way to start our holiday in Hanoi. I highly recommend
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Susansusan002
May 22, 2025
Top ratings!!! - As a solo traveler I always treasure accompaniment and conversations with locals. Every cities I traveled to I love to join walking tours, and trust me i have done quite many all across different countries and cities. These tours by Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide are one of the top of my ratings (for walking tours so far)!
I had 2 tours - morning old quarter walk with guide Musa, and evening old quarter walk with guide Sơn (nickname Shaun). Both my guides and the tours were fantastic. The guides serve as volunteers, dedicating their time and knowledge and professionalism in the entire tour. I was told that the founder of Hanoi Free Private Tour is so passionate to make this work well, at a non-profit manner, but giving great training to all the volunteer guides to ensure they do well. Applaud to that!
Both my tours were easy, giving me full and new information (it's not my first trip here), and love the flexibility of where to walk and roam, what to talk about, interesting conversations, and really friendly vibes! i really love every single bit of it Thanks so much to the organisers and my 2 wonderful guides sweet Musa & my Sơn ! I'm now going to book the next tour for my sisters.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mirandakj6332ol
May 20, 2025
Fantastic! Worth it! Had a wonderful time I learned a lot. - This is great little excursion! Perfect opportunity to get advice and learn from a local! My guide was Oliver! He messaged the day before and asked if I had any requests for things to see and accommodated them into our tour. In addition he chose some great spots to check out and told me interesting things about old Hanoi as we walked around. The booking was super easy and exactly what I expected/what the ad depicts.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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